Peduto and Lamb both ran for mayor in 2005. Lamb drew some of his support from Mayor Murphy’s cadre. Peduto finished in second place to O’Connor. Peduto considered running against Ravenstahl in the special election held in 2007 but withdrew, drawing public fire. Lamb opted to run instead for City Controller in ’07. Both men yielded to other Democratic challengers in 2009.

If you don’t today re-read the whole story, or at least the entirety of Part III: Capitulation, I’m afraid to inform you that you are still not a remotely serious trader in Pittsburgh news.

From all indications, every element of these long-planned and much-needed reforms to the secondary employment system are quickly unraveling within the Pittsburgh Police Department. We paid for a computer system to manage it, but it isn’t being used. On those occasions where the system is used, its controls are being subverted by public servants who share passwords with each other, and who apparently face no significant consequences for doing so. We are have paid (and continue paying) two city employees to manage the Special Events Office, but it is being bypassed and becoming irrelevant. The old-style patronage system of cops staffing these off-duty details with their friends and supporters continues unabated. We have lost what could have been a vitally important stream of revenue. (PRP, “Adm. Richmond K. Turner”, Feb. 12 2007)

Interim Mayor Luke Ravenstahl replacing Police Chief Dom Costa with Police Chief Nate Harper during the height of a battle over Special Events oversight. Harper described as being more likely to “appease his peers and subordinates” by reversing reforms which strengthen the Bureau and protect taxpayers and residents. Encouraging the accrual of back room power to people such as the Mayor’s intended nominee for Director of Public Safety, Dennis Regan, who had no experience in public safety but the right friends on the force. Not sweating consequences as long as he could secure his tenuous hold on power within that building through inside political deal making. All there.

Most members of boards and commissions are nominated and appointed by the Mayor and City Council. We must open up the nomination process and allow citizens of the city to submit their own choices to fill open seats on these boards and commissions. We need fewer connected insiders doing this work and more community leaders, professionals, and concerned citizens. (People for Peduto, daily ideas rap sheet #94)

Above emphasis mine. We need many and more community leaders and relevant professionals, not to mention a greater diversity of concern among all those concerned citizens on our crucial municipal authorities and boards. Well, less many if we can meaningfully consolidate the periphery boards. It’s all part of a gravely important and timely doctrine. Pittsburgh needs to get its authorities and commissions working better for the people. For example, most of these important bodies have their own dedicated solicitors already. So why appoint so many attorneys? Nominate people with policy-relevant skill sets.

The proposal Councilman Bill Peduto is putting forward defines him slightly differently from not only Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, but from that lumbering lumberjack chief Executive of Allegheny County, Rich Fitzgerald — who happens along with many others to support Peduto’s mayoral campaign. Too much of any good thing, after all, would clearly be way too much.

The Post Gazette reports on a website used to coordinate jobs for off-duty police officers:

One website that investigators suspected of being part of the “detail mafia” has been taken down. A second website, believed by some to still be in use, touts “real time monitoring” and “automated text notifications.”

When the reporter gives you text in quotes like that it’s just an invitation, a hint, to google “real time monitoring” “automated text notifications” Pittsburgh Police.

This is a Valentine’s Day post dedicated to the memory of my friend and co worker Ka’Sandra Wade, who was murdered on New Year’s Eve. She called 911 for help and the call was interrupted by “a commotion” according to the dispatcher. Neighbors report that gun shots were heard only after two police officers left her apartment, after they spoke to Anthony Brown and he reassured them that everything was okay. They did not speak to the woman who had called for help. Brown later wrote a note that claimed that the police could have saved her.

In light of the recent spate of newsand commentaryregarding the professional performance, ethical consistency and supervisory duties of our Chief of Police, Nathaniel Harper and the continued “confidence” of our Mayor in “his” chief, I present a hypothetical scenario sent to me from an anonymous commenter by email under cover of a pseudonym – this person directly echoed my own thoughts:

“Imagine if the police were in a rush to leave Ka’Sandra Wade’s place because they needed to get off-duty on schedule, without getting hung up — so they could get to their second job, working security at a SouthSide bar.”

No, as the commenter was careful to make clear, that suggestion was not a tip-off from a whistleblower within the Pittsburgh police force. It’s a rational extrapolation based on well documented, prevailing patterns of institutionally supported moonlighting. It’s a bitter guess based on the evident exploitationof the powers vested in our public police force to satisfy private profit motives. I’m willing to bet that email is only one example of many such darkly cynical speculations that express common erosions ofpublicconfidence when bad examples are rewarded within power structures that have been entrusted with deadly force to “protect and serve.”